The Strongsville Education Association has filed a 10-day strike notice, which means that unless a contract settlement is reached by March 3, teachers intend to strike on March 4.
Superintendent John Krupinski, in a statement released Thursday afternoon, said the district is preparing for a strike.
“The board and I are extremely disappointed that the teachers’ union has decided to take this action. We are still in negotiations and hope that a strike can be averted,” Krupinski said in the statement. “The board continues to negotiate in good faith. We presented a contract proposal that reflected the economic realities of these difficult fiscal times.”
Todd Jaeck, spokesman for the Ohio Education Association, said the strike notice is a formal action filed with the State Employment Relations Board that warns school officials of teachers' intentions.
Strongsville teachers will vote by secret ballot March 3 whether to strike on March 4, Jaeck said.
"There will be a strike on March 4 unless a settlement is reached," he said.
If there is a strike, schools will stay open, Krupinski said.
“We will keep the community informed as the mediation process continues, including preparations for a teachers' strike," Krupinski said. "We will ensure that our schools remain open and are a safe learning environment with qualified teachers in place. We have started the process to make a smooth and orderly transition to a substitute teaching team.”
Teachers have staged two protests at School Board meetings, charging that the district is not offering teachers a fair contract.
The SEA has scheduled a press conference for 6:15 tonight to discuss details of the strike plan.
Krupinski encouraged residents to contact the district with comments and questions through the schools' website.
You are absolutely correct. And there are many underemployed people out there working at jobs that they are overqualified, and making much less than they did before. They may have lost their job or taken another type job. And just because they may have a college degree or more, that does not mean they will be paid accordingly.
I like the way you think, and more of your comments are welcomed. I think you “get-it”, that is, if you want to control the dog, you attack the head and not go after the tail. Your comment – “They (the unions) spend more freaking time contributing to Democratic Party, making sure you can't fire a bad teacher and halting any charter school from opening than they do on YOU and YOUR STUDENTS.” - Unions (at the national, state, and local levels combined) collected an estimated $14 billion in dues alone every year, and more than half of the income comes from government workers. That’s more revenues than 65% of the Fortune 500 companies, giving unions huge money to spend on politics – almost all of which goes to the Democrats. Your comment - “Unions don't care about kids or their performance...they care about dues.” There was a higher up official who served as the head of the American Federation of Teachers from 1974-97 who was credited with saying: “When schoolchildren start paying union dues, that’s when I’ll start representing the interests of schoolchildren.” The quote hammers home the union’s sole function is to represent the members, not to work toward goals that may be in our nation’s (or children’s) best interest. The mindless mantra of unionism from the teachers in our school systems – you would think that these people with bachelors and masters degrees would know better and be able to think for themselves.
" It takes a special person to light that fire, to raise our children's expectations for themselves and never give up on them, no matter how challenging they might be. All of us are here because, at some point, somebody did that for us."
I'm glad you like your teachers. But the BOE needs to be responsible with the funds available. Just because the teachers want, does not mean the money is there, and it should not come at the expense of the kids either.
lets say you worked at a ice cream store and made 10.00 an hour and worked 40 hours a week or 400.00 per week and the ice cream store has fallen on hard times due to the economy and only brings in 700.00 per week but after supplies and utilities they are left with 410.00 which 400.00 goes to you leaving the store a 10.00 reserve now you go to them and ask for just a 5% raise (20.00) or you will go on strike what is the ice cream stores option in this case
She makes just over $50k. That's a great salary but her expenses are much higher than mine are at my job. She takes classes ( we pay for ) every summer. She buys all her own classroom materials ( there's no money for that). She purchased her own laptop for school ( no money for that either). Her last 2 contracts included a pay freeze and increased costs of health care. Just so we set the record straight : she contributes to her own pension just like I do at work. The people in Strongsville need to look back at what's happening over the last few years : there have been over 100 teachers let go. That brings the average class size way up. There were promises made verbally during the last contract about pay and benefits ( "take cuts now and it will be better next time") that seem to have been forgotten a few years later. I'm not in a union but I understand the teachers' anger when they've been lied to. Volunteer at Strongsville High School for one day and then comment again. It's eye opening.
The parents (usually one) move to strongsville to give their (usually unruly ) child a fresh start ( caring parent) unfortunately the child does not appreciate their second chance and again becomes "misbehaved and disrespectful" often not graduating all the while bringing down school testing results ever wonder why chagrin schools test scores are so high (lack of affordable apartments)
http://www.strongnet.org/cms/lib6/OH01000884/Centricity/Domain/1/Questions%20and%20Answers.pdf
http://www.strongnet.org/negotiationnews